]]>If you are passionate about what’s right or wrong about Central New York, here is a corner for you to vent. Rant in poetry. Rant in prose. Rant against the bad. Rave for the good.

Here are the rules: No anonymous essays. Have a point-of-view, express it like you mean it and know what you are talking about. We are not looking for “on the other-hand” essays. Be civil. No personal attacks. No libel. No slander. Topics? Your choice: culture, policy, politics. There are two (and only two) essay lengths: 300 words, and 600 words.

What Ruby Dee Taught Me About Acting

When I was a freshman in college, I had the opportunity to hear Ruby Dee speak. The lecture was held in what felt like a too-small 600-seat theater. As the theater swelled with people, I remember wondering, “Who is this lady, again?”

I knew her husband, Ossie Davis, from his performances in a few Spike Lee films. That was the extent. Refusing to voice my ignorance to anyone, I waited, pretending to understand the depth of what I was about to experience.

The energy in the room was electric. It was clear we were in the presence of greatness, in the presence of someone who had shaped history. She was gracious and kind and witty. I was awed by the affect she had on the people in that room.

About two years later, I was cast as Walter Lee Younger in our college production of A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry. Our director insisted that we watch the film version of the play as research for our characters. Sidney Poitier is undoubtedly magnificent in the role of Walter Lee, but Ruby Dee as Ruth Younger simply blew me away. The subtlety and depth of her performance is breathtaking.

Unlike Walter Lee, who talks a lot, Ruth is a woman of few words. Playing a role with not many lines is difficult, and Ruby Dee was masterful at it. The actor must develop an emotional life for the character that extends far beyond the page.

When a character talks a lot, as is the case with Walter Lee, deciphering how he feels is much easier. A verbose character may say, “I don’t like x, or I hate when you do y.” Lines like these are little treats. They give the actor clues on how to execute certain moments in the play.

However, when a character says few words and their thoughts are less overt, the actor must decode the character’s intentions and silent moments. Then, the actor must make bold choices that give the audience a window into the character’s soul. Ruby Dee was a master at this.

From Ruby Dee, we can learn many lessons. Here are two: Live each moment onstage with complete conviction, despite the number of lines you may have; and, never forget, art can be a conduit for change.

]]>If you are passionate about what’s right or wrong about Central New York, here is a corner for you to vent. Rant in poetry. Rant in prose. Rant against the bad. Rave for the good.

Here are the rules: No anonymous essays. Have a point-of-view, express it like you mean it and know what you are talking about. We are not looking for “on the other-hand” essays. Be civil. No personal attacks. No libel. No slander. Topics? Your choice: culture, policy, politics. There are two (and only two) essay lengths: 300 words, and 600 words.

WHY THE RACE OF AN ELECTED OFFICIAL NO LONGER MATTERS TO ME

By Kenneth Jackson

OK, I said it: I no longer care about the race of a candidate.

As someone who’s participated more than 25 years as an activist and writer, I consider myself a “recovering politician.” Participating at all levels, I was involved in Democratic politics in the Valley at the time when blacks weren’t accepted politically south of the Matson-Dixie Line, as Matson Avenue was the cutoff for the election district. I remember 90-year-old Democrats controlling 385 weighted votes while I as a young man had only 98. Our responsibility was to get out the vote in “The Valley.” That’s where I was told, “Blacks can’t run here.”

In Syracuse and Onondaga County 2014, there are more African-American elected officials than ever, and yet I have no feeling of pride, as I’ve felt with President Barack Obama.

That feeling of empowerment is absent as we’ve reached total domination of the Syracuse Common Council. Sam Roberts is an assemblyman, and for a minute it appeared that a call to those officials would result in greater access to the political system, a harbor for those who are electorally homeless.

But as I scan the horizon of our great city, I have to question as an African-American activist what has this done for us, the African-American community?
Activists who were once demanding inclusion have become the problem. How are you going to advocate for others when you have a separate agenda for yourselves?

How can you advocate for Mother’s Against Gun Violence when you scowl at me after an entire block of citizens met with you to complain, Councilor Helen Hudson? Sewer flushing for our block is not allowed, but it doesn’t prevent Onondaga County from extracting sewer fees. For several years, raw sewage was being drained from a home into the ground until the driveway bulged due to a growing ball of human waste. Meetings were held; they went nowhere. In fact, Hudson complained about her sewer replacement and even told us the cost.

Excuse me. We pay you to represent us. Get it?

I could name each name and the incident, but that would take too much time.

How can you empower a struggling black community when you don’t respond to complaints? When the state Assembly paid appointed staff to promise jobs to desperate African-Americans in search of employment only to have them show up and find that there were no jobs? A former aide to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton quit and left Syracuse. The same office handled complaints from a minority business enterprise that went missing, went nowhere. No follow-up phone call or letter.

These actions or lack thereof didn’t involve one single white person.

FROM STATE CHAMPS TO HOMELESS

By Walter Bowler

The 2013-14 Onondaga Youth Hockey Association (OYHA) 14U hockey team won the state Tier III championship in March. It placed second in the Northeast Regional tournament against teams from six other states, and the boys were honored on May 21 in Albany by state Sen. John DeFrancisco and his colleagues. It was the second time in three years that a 14U team from OYHA, which is not affiliated with the Onondaga Nation but has played at the arena in Nedrow for the past 12 years, earned the state championship.

Fast forward another month, and this group of boys – and all the OYHA players – are without a rink.

In April, the city said the Meachem ice rink would close until Syracuse could come up with $1.5 million for repairs. This threatened to leave the Valley Youth Hockey Association without a place to play. Thankfully, early this month Mayor Stephanie Miner announced with State Sen. David Valesky and Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli that money from the state would allow the city to repair the rink.

But officials from the Valley association had already sought another rink. By the time the money was found to save Meachem, Valley hockey was close to a deal with the Onondaga Nation to play in Nedrow. The contract has been approved.

At the announcement of the Meachem repairs, Valley association President Pete Thomson said, “Meachem is our home ice.” It has now become clear that Valley wants to lock up the ice both at the Onondaga Nation and at Meachem, where, Thomson said, “our kids are comfortable.”

“Having two rinks will open up many possibilities for us,” Thompson wrote of the contract for the Nedrow rink.

He failed to mention the effect on the OYHA of Valley’s effort to tie up two rinks. It would be sad if the good work of Miner, Valesky and Magnarelli to save Meachem comes at the expense of the OYHA.

It doesn’t have to be that way. The futures of both rinks are secure, and there are two hockey organizations that need a place to play. The solution is obvious, right? Valley moves to Nedrow, and OYHA goes to Meachem. OYHA has been assured by Miner’s administration that it will have a chance to bid for the Meachem rink.

Until now, there was room in southern Syracuse for both Valley and OYHA teams; there should be room for both going forward. The Valley organization wants to grow, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of the children and families of the OYHA.

Walter Bowler is the father of P.J. Bowler, a goaltender on the 2013-14 Onondaga Youth Hockey Association (OYHA) 14U state championship hockey team.

]]>If you are passionate about what’s right or wrong about Central New York, here is a corner for you to vent. Rant in poetry. Rant in prose. Rant against the bad. Rave for the good.

Here are the rules: No anonymous essays. Have a point-of-view, express it like you mean it and know what you are talking about. We are not looking for “on the other-hand” essays. Be civil. No personal attacks. No libel. No slander. Topics? Your choice: culture, policy, politics. There are two (and only two) essay lengths: 300 words, and 600 words.

NFL Painkiller Scandal Should Be No Surprise

By Timothy Neal

This latest lawsuit to hit the NFL continues to raise the point that medical decisions in competitive athletics should be made with the long-term well-being of the athlete involved.

While dealing with a concussion settlement that still needs approval since its announcement in September, the NFL received notice that a group of former players filed a lawsuit alleging that while playing in the NFL they were recklessly given painkilling medications that led to health problems later in life. The suit also seeks to include any former players who received – in addition to painkilling drugs – anti-inflammatories, local anesthetic injections, sleep aids, or other medications without prescription, independent diagnosis or warning about side effects.

Some of the narcotics, anti-inflammatories and local anesthetics listed include Toradol, Percocet, Vicodin, Ambien and Lidocaine. Some players estimate they were given “hundreds, if not thousands” of injections and pills over the years. Additionally, some players complained about having injuries go undetected, thus delaying proper care and leading to life-time disabilities.

There are several issues to consider in this recent lawsuit.

First is the issue of full disclosure of injuries to players. The Kruger v. Forty-Niners decision established that medical professionals fully disclose test results and diagnoses of injuries to players. If testing was not performed, then there is disconnect between sustaining an injury, not performing testing such as an MRI or bone scan and continuing to play on an unresolved injury that requires narcotics or other drugs to ensure participation.

Most players communicate with their agents about their injuries, sometimes seeking second opinions at the request of the agent to provide an independent review of the nature and severity of an injury and recommendations on care to ensure the long term well-being of the player after his career is finished.

The medical practices of NFL medical staffs from the 1960s to the present are being examined, receiving at times high criticism. However, it is doubtful that general medical practices from 30 to 50 years ago would survive a review without criticism. Professional sports garner a great deal of media attention, be it in misbehavior of athletes or the medical care they receive. Going forward, the use of narcotics and injections treating injuries will be further scrutinized by team physicians, players, NFL administration and the media. It is the nature of the business.

The players must also take ownership in their care and examine their motivations to continue playing in pain. Players must sometimes be protected from themselves; their zeal to play can cloud their judgment on what is an appropriate and inappropriate risk to their long-term health by participating with an unresolved or potentially disabling injury, or by not communicating to medical staffs how much pain they are truly in.

Last fall, a survey was done with NFL players about reporting their concussions to their medical staff. Fifty-six percent of players surveyed reported that they would hide their concussion from the athletic trainer or team physician to stay on the field, despite the growing concern over concussions and the pending settlement of the NFL concussion lawsuit. Is there any doubt that there are some players back in the 1960s to the present that would lie about their pain, or coerce or demand an injection or narcotic from a team physician to remain on the field?

Athletic participation has a finite shelf life, and some players will go to great lengths to extend their participation by allowing medical procedures that may put their long-term well-being at risk. The news has many stories of players taking nutritional supplements or performance enhancing drugs that may put their health in jeopardy.

Advances in medicine over time evolve our understanding of treating injuries, resulting in making course corrections in care to appropriately address injuries to benefit the athlete.

Timothy Neal is president of TLN Consulting Inc. and former assistant director of athletics for sports medicine at Syracuse University.

A Tribute to Maya Angelou

By Ruthnie Angrand

In our eyes, Maya Angelou has always been regal, always been without sin and never struggled to utter a profound word or live a profound moment. That’s not realistic, however, because to respect a person we need to marry our views of the people we canonize with their actions in the time they lived.

It’s the actions of someone’s life that humble and inspire us. They remind us that we love people and revere them because we see how human they are in the face of the vices that make us ineffective. They walk the walk, sometimes, with no light to lead them except for the faith in their own hearts.

As artists and admirers, we miss certain human pulses of Angelou: that she dropped out of high school but became San Francisco’s first African-American female cable car conductor; that she got pregnant in her senior year of high school but continued to work and be inspired by the arts by performing poetry, touring as a dancer, performer and singer; that she was black at a time and in places in America where it was not OK to simultaneously be black and talented and working; and above all, despite all, she lived a gloriously full and ambitious life.

I have the pleasure of saying I enjoyed Angelou before I knew she was a poet. I found her calypso vinyl hidden in my father’s closet and read about her work as companion to Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. long before I ever read her poems. Her life was poetry.
She has given us some very “heavy artillery,” and as writers and leaders, we have more than enough fire to fuel our steam.

The artist in me looks around for the steam whenever the fire is cold. It is a difficult thing to find, in part because the fires are different and the trends move quickly, but here is a woman who 50 to 70 years ago kept putting one foot in front of the other, in the darkness of a segregated era, trusting the flame in her core and the love in her heart.

For that, I will be far more revering than mournful and thank her more than she is missed.

Ruthnie “Rae Sunshine” Angrand is a workshop coordinator and original member of the Underground Poetry Spot, a poetry open-mic venue for five years.

]]>If you are passionate about what’s right or wrong about Central New York, here is a corner for you to vent. Rant in poetry. Rant in prose. Rant against the bad. Rave for the good.

Here are the rules: No anonymous essays. Have a point-of-view, express it like you mean it and know what you are talking about. We are not looking for “on the other-hand” essays. Be civil. No personal attacks. No libel. No slander. Topics? Your choice: culture, policy, politics. There are two (and only two) essay lengths: 300 words, and 600 words.

Extend Moratorium on Fracking

by Emily Bishop

Thank you for publishing the ProPublica article by Naveena Sadasivam on fracking and health studies. It has been clear to the majority of New Yorkers that fracking is harmful to the environment and human health and that there is a lack of evidence that it can be done safely.

The impact of fracking on human health is the reason why, on Thursday, May 29th, the coalition of Concerned Health Professionals of New York (CHPNY) delivered a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and acting Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker to urge them to enact at least a three-year moratorium on fracking so that current studies can be completed to determine full scope of fracking on human health.

The letter provides an extensive list of the latest studies and science on fracking, stating: “The totality of the science — which now encompasses hundreds of peer-reviewed studies and hundreds of additional reports and case examples — shows that permitting fracking in New York would pose significant threats to the air, water, health and safety of New Yorkers.”

And, as it is stated in Sadasivam’s article, we really should be looking at the entire cycle of fracking, from the extraction of water that will be used in the fracking operations to the increased methane emissions that will come from its use in homes. There is so much in between that hasn’t been studied yet, which is one reason why CHPNY is calling for a moratorium.

Dr. Sheila Bushkin-Bedient, of CHPNY and a member of the Institute for Health and the Environment at SUNY Albany, said, “Scientific evidence is mounting quickly, indicating that unconventional shale gas operations or ‘fracking’ are already leading to observable health hazards. Prevention demands, at the very least, a moratorium on fracking for three to five years so that we can become better informed, and devote more time to developing healthier, sustainable energy options.”

The letter from CHPNY identifies the key trends and recent scientific studies that link fracking to human health, including: water contamination due to failed well casings, disposal of fracking wastewater that contains radioactive contaminants and air quality impacts, among others.

A copy of the letter is at: tinyurl.com/lllp7sn

Emily Bishop is Central New York regional organizer for New Yorkers Against Fracking.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS SCARY, A CARBON TAX IS NOT

By Diane Williamson

The National Climate Assessment was released recently. It details the observed and predicted effects of climate change in the United States. Scary stuff.

The panel predicted that warming could exceed 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century. That might seem like a long way off, but I have two young kids who will not even be out of high school until 2030. My grandkids will definitely feel the effects of global warming. If we are already experiencing “extended periods of unusual heat,” just imagine them 10 degrees hotter.

Warmer weather means more droughts, like the current historic droughts in California and Texas. Droughts spell trouble not just for those who like to wash their cars and water their lawns. These droughts will raise food prices and put people out of work.

While I occasionally joke about in the future being able to grow real oranges in the orange grove at Syracuse University, real fruit farmers are not laughing. Do you remember the exceptionally warm, early spring in 2012, which caused apple trees to bloom too early and then die in a series of hard freezes, wiping out 60 percent of the apple harvest that year? There are similar problems to come, for all types of agriculture.

In addition, here in Syracuse we can expect more flooding, like the kind we had last summer, due to a rising frequency of torrential rains.

Understanding climate change is difficult because it involves predicting the future, and that can be done with only limited certainty. Nevertheless, all the climate simulations (which accurately model the present) predict negative consequences. The uncertainty could only be for the worse.

Scientists are as sure that fossil fuel use causes global warming as they are that smoking cigarettes causes cancer. Don’t take my word for it: ask NASA. Its website is one of the best for measuring and explaining climate change.

We need to quit smoking. Well, smoking coal, oil, and natural gas, that is. Fortunately, there exists a relatively painless, free-market solution to this problem: Make it more expensive to put CO2 in the atmosphere.

Raising the price of cigarettes has done more to reduce the rate of cigarette smoking in the U.S., which is at a historic low, than all of the educational and health campaigns combined. Therefore, just like a tax on cigarettes, the answer is a carbon tax on the companies that sell fossil fuels. When it is more expensive to pollute, all of our economic attention we be directed at developing renewable energy.

Even if 97 percent of the climate scientists are wrong and climate change is a big conspiracy, a carbon tax is still a good idea. In creating a disincentive for fossil fuel energy (coal, oil and natural gas) and an incentive for the development of renewable resources, the fee promotes U.S. energy independence.

Proposed legislation (supported by the Syracuse Citizens Climate Lobby) turns the fee into a rebate for every American. The total collected from fossil fuel companies will be divided by the number of taxpayers; easy as pie, the check’s in the mail. In other words, this proposal is revenue-neutral, so even Republicans who vowed never to raise taxes can support it.

Most importantly, the proposed legislation imposes a tariff on imports from countries without a similar carbon fee, to not disadvantage American production. Cynics say that China will never get on board, but this tariff effectively targets China. China already has a small carbon tax, which it would be prompted to increase.

A carbon fee is in the interests of ordinary Americans — through job creation in renewable energy, energy independence, and money in their pockets through rebate checks. Even if you are not scared about climate change, a carbon tax is a good idea.

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http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/rant-and-rave-2/#commentsWed, 28 May 2014 07:00:32 +0000Staffhttp://www.syracusenewtimes.com/?p=10844(Rant and Rave) Beyond the West Shore Trail and a message about #bringbackourgirls

If you are passionate about what’s right or wrong about Central New York, here is a corner for you to vent. Rant in poetry. Rant in prose. Rant against the bad. Rave for the good.

Here are the rules: No anonymous essays. Have a point-of-view, express it like you mean it and know what you are talking about. We are not looking for “on the other-hand” essays. Be civil. No personal attacks. No libel. No slander. Topics? Your choice: culture, policy, politics. There are two (and only two) essay lengths: 350 words, and 740 words.

LOOK BEYOND THE WEST SHORE TRAIL

By Joe Heath

Last week’s photo essay on the West Shore Trail painted a lovely vision: verdant woodland against the backdrop of the blue, open expanse of Onondaga Lake.

Unfortunately, the environment portrayed in this photo essay is only skin deep. The Onondaga Nation has a vision for a fully healed and restored Onondaga Lake. Sadly, reality does not match the Nation’s vision. Perhaps we should be calling this newly opened trail what it is: the “Waste Bed Trail.”

As general counsel for the Onondaga Nation, after more than three decades of learning from the Onondagas, I see things differently. I see the sacred lake where the Haudenosaunee Confederacy was formed, but I also see its devastation into a hazardous waste landfill that is being capped and entombed beneath the lake. I see multiple industrial waste sites throughout the landscape, filling wetlands that once supported a biologically rich and diverse community of plants and wildlife central to the Haudenosaunee way of life.

In 2009, the Onondaga Nation insisted that regulators look at the human health risks posed by the waste material underneath and around the Waste Bed Trail. The fences and signs posted along the trail remind us that there are risks to adults and adolescents who go off trail, from the cadmium, hexavalent chromium, benzo(a)pyrene, and manganese in the dust that they might kick up. We worry about the young children and infants visiting the trail, who were not included in the risk assessment.

Looking down at the temporary Visitor’s Center constructed by Honeywell, I reflect on the disrespectful way the Nation’s concerns about the design of the Lake Bottom Remedy were ignored. In 2005, the Nation called for a complete dredging of all contaminated sediments. Now, the barrier wall and groundwater treatment system stand as a testament to the plume of dichlorobenzene and other chlorinated solvents that extends under Interstate 690 and will never be completely removed.

Looking beyond the highway, I am baffled by the vast amount of mercury that regulators have allowed to remain at the LCP Bridge Street site – mercury measured in tons and not pounds or parts per billion, mercury going 55 feet down into the soil. Mercury is a neurotoxin which in infinitesimal amounts can harm wildlife and humans.

Walking towards Ninemile Creek, I remember the Crucible landfill site, where industrial waste with hazardous levels of chromium was deposited for 10 years. Will the benzene, toluene, xylene, phenols and naphthalene that were dumped in these waste beds along with the Solvay waste be adequately controlled once a remediation plan is adopted for this area?

The effect of industrialization and contamination on reptiles and amphibian communities at the lake was devastating. Populations struggled or died off. In painful ways, this is reminiscent of what has happened to the Onondagas in the last two centuries: Their original homelands, with abundant habitat, were taken illegally and then polluted heavily and their health, culture and well-being have suffered as a result.

The Onondaga Nation takes its role as stewards of Onondaga Lake seriously. Watching, listening and taking time to understand the complex effect of over a century of industrial activity on this sacred landscape is painful.

As it is, the Nation views this superficial change with a sorrowful eye. There is still so much work to be done. With a vanishing point of reference, it’s difficult for some to imagine what Onondaga Lake was like before industrialization, making it hard to see what it could and should be in the future, but we can and must do better. Our great-great-grandchildren deserve it.

#BRING BACK OUR GIRLS

By Godriver Odhiambo

The abduction of the 276 girls in northern Nigeria by Boko Haram militants is a tragic event of our time and an evil that should be condemned and stopped at all costs.

This is a terrorist group hiding under the cloth of Islam. First, the Bornu area and some parts of northeastern Nigeria are populated by many Muslims. This was caused by the 19th century Islamic jihads of Uthman dan Fodio, Seku Ahmadu Lobbo, al-Hajj Umar and Muhammed al-Kanemi that carried his revolution in Bornu. The result was the creation of the large Sokoto caliphate.

These jihads revolutionized the area, politically and socially, as so many people became Muslims. However, this area lagged behind during the colonial period as the British used indirect rule in the Sokoto caliphate, while the south, where the colonial administration was based, saw implementation of socio-economic projects which possibly led to the disparity between north and southern Nigeria. It’s unfortunate that the independent state did not do much to bridge this disparity.

However, if there are socio-economic and political issues, these should be addressed with the government, instead of using religion or our girls as leverage.

Be that as it may, Boko Haram’s assertion that education is harmful is contrary to the teachings of Prophet Mohamed, who emphasized issues such as stopping of injustices to the poor, orphans, widows and women in general. What they have done to the girls is the very injustice condemned by the religion they subscribe to.

Moreover, the Prophet taught about women’s rights to property. Threatening to sell the girls reduces them to mere items of trade, besides denying the girls their rights. This seems like modern slavery. And if this be the case, again, there is no logic, as the area is full of Muslims who have lived peacefully with their Christian neighbors for many years.

The fact that majority in the northern region are Muslims itself proves that this is a terror gang, not puritans at all. This is because Islam forbids the enslavement of a fellow Muslim. So how can they claim to sell the girls even after claiming they have converted some?

That being the case, Boko Haram is just a terrorist group, and its action has nothing to do with Islam, since it’s an antithesis of what Islam stands for. As such, this group must be stopped like any other terrorist group. They are not only dangerous but cowards who abduct girls who are brave enough to venture into dangerous zones in their pursuit for education.

As an African woman, my heart goes out to these girls who dared change their destiny through education. I see myself in these girls and wonder sadly and quietly where I would be if I didn’t take the same steps years ago. In Africa, education is a means out of poverty, hence the saying, “If you educate a girl … you educate a village.”

Godriver Odhiambo, Ph.D., is assistant professor of African history at Le Moyne College.

If you are passionate about what’s right or wrong about Central New York, here is a corner for you to vent. Rant in poetry. Rant in prose. Rant against the bad. Rave for the good.

Here are the rules: No anonymous essays. Have a point-of-view, express it like you mean it and know what you are talking about. We are not looking for “on the other-hand” essays. Be civil. No personal attacks. No libel. No slander. Topics? Your choice: culture, policy, politics. There are two (and only two) essay lengths: 350 words, and 740 words.

Michael Sam’s Kiss and Well-Deserved Limelight

By Lasse Løber Jepsen

On May 10, NFL’s first openly gay player, Michael Sam, made headlines again, this time as he kissed his boyfriend on national TV. Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round, the 249th out of 256 players, and when he received the news, he cried happy tears, hugged and kissed his boyfriend in front of rolling ESPN cameras.

Sam came out publicly in February, so it surprises me that people were caught off guard by his kiss, and that the affectionate act received much more attention than the fact that he got drafted. The celebratory moment made a sensation, and both narrow-minded NFL players and an outraged Dallas talk show host expressed their indignation (about the gay couple kissing) in the midst of the heated debate. President Barack Obama, on the other hand, congratulated Sam, the Rams and the NFL “for taking an important step forward today in our nation’s journey.”

I can understand that people may need time getting used to seeing gay couples kissing. I just think that it is a shame that Sam being gay overshadows his obvious athletic capabilities and touching life story. Sam spent parts of his childhood living in his mother’s car, and he watched his older brother die from a gunshot wound. It was against all odds that he, as the first member of his family, attended college and pursued the American Dream. I think the focus should be on him succeeding, rather than on his sexual orientation.

As Obama so tellingly put it, “LGBT Americans prove every day that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are.”

Sam’s spot in the limelight, kissing his boyfriend out of happiness and relief, was well deserved, and it is my hope that it marks the beginning of more tolerance, particularly in relation with sexual diversity.

Lasse Loeber Jepsen is a recent Syracuse University graduate who works at the Q Center, a safe place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth and their allies to gather, share, hang out, have fun and build healthy relationships with supportive adults and peers.

Momma left 8 decades of selflessness on community

By Jack Brown

On Mother’s Day, we said goodbye to a very special lady in the Syracuse community. Mary Lavelle, 97 years young, passed away peacefully at Crouse Hospital, less than a month after working her last weekly dinner shift at St. Vincent de Paul Church. She was a loving wife, mother of five, grandmother of 11 and great-grandmother of 24. But those weren’t the only people around here who knew her as “Momma.”

Lavelle had become a local celebrity in her role as chef extraordinaire for the fish dinners at St. Vincent’s. During the Lenten season, she would serve delicious meals to hungry folks of all faiths and backgrounds every Friday night. Momma was usually the first person there, no matter sun, rain, sleet or blizzard. She would collaborate (and occasionally bicker) with longtime tag-team partner Marion Brooks, 88, over the finer points of creating their famous macaroni and cheese. She helped thousands as a communicant of the church for eight decades, and during that time few could keep up with her!

The legend of Momma goes beyond St. Vincent’s. She was a proud member of the Altar and Rosary Society, the Happy Roamers and she worked at Carrier Corp. for 35 years. In 2012, at the vivacious age of 95, Momma worked part-time in the kitchen at Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity on the SU hill, which – of course – she drove herself to every week. Her son Mike “Che” Lavelle has been the chef at Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, which is the house next door, since 1992. Through the years, Momma formed lasting relationships with members of the SU community and became the undisputed matriarch of the SAE brotherhood. It wasn’t long before her family ties extended to a national network of former students.

Momma had many friends and loved ones around town. She had been a frequent bowler, golfer, card player and still enjoyed the occasional trip to the casino. She loved throwing big parties at her house, especially on the Fourth of July, and would even invite the neighboring Syracuse firefighters from Station No. 9. She visited her friend Betty Coss at St. Camillus Hospital once a week for 17 years, and kept in close contact with her children from Syracuse to Arizona.

I first met Momma in 2005 while teaching kids at an after-school kickball program in St. Vincent’s. This was years before I co-founded the band Sophistafunk or began volunteering with the Syracuse Peace Council, and her influence helped lay the foundation for the next chapter of my life. Getting to know her was a reminder about uplifting others and the difference that one person can make. She was a kind soul with overflowing energy and an inspiration to anybody who had the chance to meet or work with her. On a beautiful summer day, you could find Momma with her son Mike relaxing by their koi pond on Shuart Avenue.

Sometimes I would be there, too, writing songs in the backyard or hanging out as Lavelle tended to her garden. I always knew her as “Momma,” as did many people in Syracuse and around the country. So when I learned of her passing on Mother’s Day, my heart was filled with an extra layer of grief. But I was soon comforted by Mike, who reminded me how appropriate it was that she said farewell on the most fitting day possible.

Rest in Peace Momma

Love, Jack

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http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/water-service-and-second-chances/#commentsWed, 14 May 2014 07:06:29 +0000Staffhttp://www.syracusenewtimes.com/?p=10361Rant & Rave - Voices of the Community

If you are passionate about what’s right or wrong about Central New York, here is a corner for you to vent. Rant in poetry. Rant in prose. Rant against the bad. Rave for the good.

Here are the rules: No anonymous essays. Have a point-of-view, express it like you mean it and know what you are talking about. We are not looking for “on the other-hand” essays. Be civil. No personal attacks. No libel. No slander. Topics? Your choice: culture, policy, politics. There are two (and only two) essay lengths: 350 words, and 740 words.

WHY WON’T THE CITY PROVIDE THIS BASIC SERVICE

By Adam Clark
I recently bought a property at 559 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse, for my business, Clark Equipment Rental & Sales. The property is in a city water district. There is a water meter on my property. At one time, there was functioning water on my street running to my building. The water lines under the street are broken, and the city says it won’t repair them unless I pay $50,000 out of my pocket.

Initially, the city claimed we weren’t even in the city. Then, it said we were part of OCWA (Onondaga County Water Authority). Funny, because the city collects property and water taxes on my property, and the tax maps say I’m in the city. When they realized we weren’t going away, the city water department told my general contractor while it is legally obligated to provide me with water, the city is broke and I am not a high-enough priority for it to fix the line and turn the water back on, so go pound salt and drive down the street to wash your hands!

I pay taxes on eight properties in the city promptly. I pay my state and federal income taxes promptly. I’m a 36 year-old entrepreneur who moved back to Central New York to start and grow a business in Syracuse. We are a small business. I hired an employee in February. We have one who started this week and have another starting next week. All my employees get health care and retirement benefits. I have not asked for any sort of subsidies or tax credits to do business in the city. Yes, it is possible to grow a business without a government handout. Imagine that!

All I ask for in return is the city of Syracuse provide me with water so my employees and I can wash our hands and have a functioning toilet instead of using hand sanitizer and a Port-a-John. There are two female employees who are valuable members of my team, and I don’t want to lose them. How long would Mayor Stephanie Miner put up with using a Port-a-John at work? Isn’t potable water a standard entitlement offered by developed nations?

Should I start escrowing my property taxes in an account with an attorney instead of paying the city on my property to get their attention? I spoke with another developer, and he said that probably would not work, seeing how many people get away for years with not paying taxes in the city. Am I the foolish one for paying my taxes? I feel like our local government is so busy handing out money to the well connected, there’s nothing left for the services the rest of us expect, like good schools and clean water!

What’s a small business to do? I really don’t have the time to nag the city. I just want to focus on growing my business and figuring out who the most qualified people are to work for me. I can run my business anywhere; I don’t need to be in Syracuse. My construction equipment ships all over the world. I’d like to stay invested in the city, but I’m not getting a real warm and fuzzy feeling from the city of Syracuse.

What are the implications for the rest of the members of this community if this is the way the city treats its constituents? Would a bank lend me or any other property owner $50,000 to fix the city’s pipes? How is the average property owner going to afford to fix a water main under the street in front of their house or business?

Is potable water too much to ask for? Or has the City of Syracuse sunk to Third-World levels?

Adam Clark is owner of Clark Equipment Rental & Sales.

ARTICLE IGNORES NY LAW ON SECOND CHANCES

By Marsha Weissman
Ed Griffin-Nolan’s article “Spanish Action League Hires Sex Offender” (Syracuse New Times, April 3-May 7) was inflammatory and was surprisingly narrow-minded given the New Times’ history of providing an alternative to mainstream media sources. It lacked any analysis of the benefits of hiring people with criminal histories or the state laws that promote such a practice. It perpetuated a fear-based response to people with a sex-related conviction, conveniently ignoring the research that consistently demonstrates that recidivism rates for people who have a sex-related conviction are substantially lower than most people believe and, in fact, are among the lowest of all people convicted of a crime.

Employment is one of the surest ways for a person to reintegrate into society and avoid re-offending after a criminal conviction. To that end, state law encourages employers to hire people with criminal convictions and forbids employers from applying blanket bars to certain people because of a criminal record. Article 23-A of state Correction Law prohibits employers from denying employment to an applicant on the basis of his criminal history unless “there is a direct relationship between one or more of the criminal offenses and the specific license or employment sought or held by the individual.” As the executive assistant to La Liga’s Executive Director Rita Paniagua, Jesus Rolon’s job responsibilities do not involve any interactions with children or adolescents.

Further, Article 23-A requires employers to consider, among other factors, “any information produced by the person, or produced on his behalf, in regard to his rehabilitation and good conduct.” As Griffin-Nolan reported, Rolon was exempted from sex offender treatment after an evaluation, his probation officer supported his employment at La Liga and an Onondaga County Court judge released him from probation early, stating that “termination of the sentence of probation is not adverse to the protection of the public.” Given all of these factors, La Liga could not and should not have legally denied Rolon employment as the executive assistant due to his criminal history. Despite Griffin-Nolan’s attempt to incite La Liga to violate the law and fire Rolon, La Liga stood up to his bullying tactics.

Any human service agency (or any other employer) that has a blanket policy denying employment to people with criminal histories or people convicted of specific offenses is in direct violation of state law. People convicted of sex-related crimes are not exempted from this protection. Nor should they be. Society’s penchant for demonizing people who have a sex-related conviction not only undermines their attempts to live law-abiding lives, but it also ignores the reality about risk of re-offense.

It is unfortunate that the New Times has published a counter-productive, fear-based story that accomplishes nothing more than “exposing” a person who is seeking only to live a law-abiding life in the community through employment. Our community would be better served by a story exposing those employers who continue to discriminate against people with a criminal record, thereby undermining New York law and public safety as a whole.

We applaud La Liga’s resolve to give Rolon the second chance he deserves by honoring New York’s commitment to the employment of people with criminal histories.

Marsha Weissman is executive director of the Center for Community Alternatives. The center promotes reintegrative justice and a reduced reliance on incarceration through advocacy, services and public policy development in pursuit of civil and human rights.

If you are passionate about what’s right or wrong about Central New York, here is a corner for you to vent. Rant in poetry. Rant in prose. Rant against the bad. Rave for the good.

Here are the rules: No anonymous essays. Have a point-of-view, express it like you mean it and know what you are talking about. We are not looking for “on the other-hand” essays. Be civil. No personal attacks. No libel. No slander. Topics? Your choice: culture, policy, politics. There are two (and only two) essay lengths: 350 words, and 740 words.

Bigotry or Racism?

By Ken Jackson

When I began writing this piece, it was about Cliven Bundy: a Nevada rancher, a conservative folk hero profiled and interviewed even called a “patriot” for expressing his anti-Federal government views, standing up to the government in a fight over grazing rights. According to the Bureau of Land Management, the cattle are trespassing on the Gold Butte habitat sanctuary for the endangered desert tortoise. Bundy has racked up more than $1 million in fees and penalties over 11 years.

Bundy was quoted in a Times story in which he referred to African-Americans as “the Negro” and recalling a time when he drove past homes in North Las Vegas and saw black people who “didn’t have nothing to do.” He said he wondered if they were “better off as slaves” than “under government subsidy.”

“They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton, and I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom.”

After the comments were confirmed by video, Republicans and conservative pundits scattered like scalded dogs. The one-man, Fox News flame-thrower, Sean Hannity, has gone ballistic, showing visceral outrage on radio after prominently featuring Bundy on television. He called the Bundy comments “ignorant, racist, repugnant, despicable.”

If that wasn’t enough racist rhetoric, before the dust could settle on Bundy’s dusty Nevada ranch, the sports world was hit with controversy erupting in the middle of the NBA playoffs. In a series of taped conversations, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was caught making disparaging comments about African-Americans and his “mistress” being seen in public with them.

The mistress, now ex-girlfriend V. Stiviano, reportedly upset Sterling by posting photos of herself with “black people,” including NBA legend Magic Johnson, on social media’s Instagram.

The world will think certain things if you’re seen with black people, Sterling tells his mistress, so you should not be seen with them in public, and under no circumstances should you bring them to Clippers games.

The issue of racism isn’t limited to these aforementioned “incidents.” Journalists, pundits and opinion writers appear to think of racism as something of the past, confirmed by the fact that we have an African-American president. There’s fake outrage by some media outlets as they erupt, sitting in their lily-white newsrooms.

As a black journalist, I’m amused by members of print and digital media touting their commitment to a diverse community while displaying entirely white staffs.
Therefore, when these racial incidents occur locally, there’s an “occupier’s mainstream” view that usually doesn’t include the African-American perspective, as our population exceeds 50,000. The African-American residents of Syracuse are not reflected in our largest media. We black folk apparently have no mass-marketing value; simply put: non-inclusive, not included, invisible.

You’d think that Sterling’s attitude is isolated? Do you believe Bundy’s attitudes about black people are in a black box inside his brain? Both are saying exactly what they think.

There’s a difference between Bundy and Sterling. Bundy is a bigot; nothing he can say or do will prevent an African-American from what he can rightfully earn and achieve. Sterling’s a racist; his power as owner of the Los Angeles Clippers and employer sets him apart. He can deny opportunity; he can determine what’s earned and who is allowed to achieve. Sterling can actively discriminate and be called a racist; he’s using his immense power of ownership and wealth.

Read, examine and scrutinize African-American participation in Central New York print, visual and digital media. Perhaps local owners aren’t that far behind Bundy and Sterling in calculating the participatory value of African-Americans in an increasingly diverse community. The question the community must ask, is this due to bigotry or racism?

MOTHERHOOD IN THE 21ST CENTURY

By Rosemary Agonito

Despite all women’s advances, the pressure to have children still dogs women, who are led to believe they are not “real women” if they don’t have babies. In a 60 Minutes interview of actress Helen Mirren, after her incredible accomplishments were detailed, Morley Safer asked the question no man would ever be asked, “Don’t you feel you missed out not having children?” To which she forcefully replied, “I’m glad I never had children. I’ve had my freedom.”

From the time a girl is born and given her first doll, she breathes air that drones endlessly, “Your mission in life is to be a mother.” She’ll hear a zillion reasons why she should have babies, why she will not be “fulfilled” if she doesn’t. Volumes exist on motherhood’s joys. It’s long past time to focus on motherhood’s not-so-pretty face.

Study after study reveals: Motherhood is physically exhausting and extremely stressful. More often than not, babies do not bring couples together. Motherhood hinders woman’s ability to develop her talents and skills. It demands self-sacrifice, negating woman’s unique self. Children exact severe financial sacrifices. When divorce occurs, mothers typically face financial distress. Child abuse and neglect are rampant, often perpetrated by women unable to cope with motherhood. Worse yet, the environmental-human impact of overpopulation is rapidly moving the human species toward extinction as we pass sustainability. “Be fruitful and multiply” doesn’t cut it anymore. Arguments against becoming a mother are at least as important as the reasons for becoming one.

We must stop conditioning girls to become mothers. Motherhood should not automatically follow from a cultural mandate dating to a time when breeding was necessary to sustain an agricultural existence and infant mortality was high. That world no longer exists. Motherhood should result from deliberate, careful thought about self, family, community and environment.

Rosemary Agonito’s latest book, The Last Taboo: Saying No to Motherhood is due out in the fall.

If you are passionate about what’s right or wrong about Central New York, here is a corner for you to vent. Rant in poetry. Rant in prose. Rant against the bad. Rave for the good.

Here are the rules: No anonymous essays. Have a point-of-view, express it like you mean it and know what you are talking about. We are not looking for “on the other-hand” essays. Be civil. No personal attacks. No libel. No slander. Topics? Your choice: culture, policy, politics. There are two (and only two) essay lengths: 350 words, and 740 words.

A PATH FORWARD FOR SYRACUSE

By Bob Andrews

Is it really news that the City of Syracuse is in dire financial distress? We hear about the woes of our city seemingly daily from Mayor (Stephanie) Miner as she explains why roads cannot get paved and pipes cannot get upgraded.

Although the financial problems are not a surprise, the lack of leadership coming from City Hall is surprising. In the city, panhandling is an issue being addressed in Armory Square and along Interstate 690 off-ramps, but the worst offender seems to be the mayor around City Hall. Like a panhandler, the mayor seeks short-term fixes with infusion of money, but what is her plan to solve the underlying problems?

As a business person, I cannot simply put my hand out and ask for money. Instead, I need to research and write a plan of action for the money. I must show how the money will work to improve the long-term problems.

Does Syracuse have a plan to resolve the aging water system? Does Syracuse have a plan to invest in road infrastructure beyond just fixing potholes? Does Syracuse have a plan to turn around upside-down finances? Emergency funding from the state or federal government is the mayor’s solution but really is only a temporary fix to a long-term problem.

We can do better, Mrs. Mayor. The citizens of Syracuse deserve better. We need leadership from City Hall that is working with all of our partners from county, state and federal governments as well as our private-sector partners to develop comprehensive plans that will not only repair our infrastructure in the short term but will allow city streets and pipes to be maintained long into the future at a sustainable cost.

Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney and the county legislature have shown that good planning and advocacy for sustainable financial models work to cut the cost of government and improve the efficiency of services to taxpayers. Even our long-dysfunctional state government in Albany has begun to gain control of our out-of-control spending, thanks to leadership and planning from the governor and our own Sens. (John) DeFrancisco and (David) Valesky.

In recent years, the county and region have shown a propensity to build real solutions through innovation, cooperation, strategic initiatives and sound financial planning. All of this while City Hall continues to beg for money for bailouts and short-term fixes. I know there are many of us in the city that are ready for real solutions and are hungry for a plan that we can rally behind. Mayor Miner, let’s work to build a legacy for a new, sustainable Syracuse poised for vibrancy and growth and built on a foundation of solid infrastructure and financial stability.

Bob Andrews, of Syracuse, is chairman of the Republican Committee in Syracuse and a former Onondaga County legislator.

A BIG FINISH IN A START WITH BEETHOVEN’S NINTH

By William Eimas-Dietrich

Editor’s note: The writer attended the Symphoria performance Saturday with his father. These are his impressions of his first concert of classical music.

As a 14-year-old guy, when your dad comes to you and says you have to go to the Symphoria and listen to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 and a work called Inspiring Beethoven, how many guys would want to go? Maybe a few … let’s be real, it’s none.

As the concert started, I was in disbelief. I actually liked it. Then the music of the first piece got extremely soft, and I started to doze off a little bit. When I started to doze off, the percussionist would hit the drum, and I would wake up. By intermission (after Inspiring Beethoven), I was not impressed at all. I was bored, and I was starting to became impatient.

To my surprise, my overall bad start to my first symphony experience was about to change. Beethoven’s Ninth felt like I was at a real 21st century concert, not including the screaming fans and cheering.

As most of you might know, Beethoven’s Ninth has four parts to it. The first part was fun and just an overall good experience. The second and third parts were boring; again I started to doze off, even though my dad’s head was moving to the beat.

My dad told me the fourth part had singing in it, with a huge chorus. So I was hoping for a big finish, and that is exactly what the Syracuse Symphoria gave me. The singing and the musical instruments together equaled something amazing.

So let’s just say to all the teenage boys who are reading this – probably not that many – give it a chance if your dad wants to spend a little time with you at the symphony.

William Eimas-Dietrich is a freshman at Jamesville-DeWitt High School and a fan of Coldplay and Imagine Dragons. His father is the New Times editor-in-chief.

If you are passionate about what’s right or wrong about Central New York, here is a corner for you to vent. Rant in poetry. Rant in prose. Rant against the bad. Rave for the good.

Here are the rules: No anonymous essays. Have a point-of-view, express it like you mean it and know what you are talking about. We are not looking for “on the other-hand” essays. Be civil. No personal attacks. No libel. No slander. Topics? Your choice: culture, policy, politics. There are two (and only two) essay lengths: 350 words, and 740 words.

Earth Day Every Day

By Diane Williamson

Kids’ toys and crafts look a lot different now than they did when we were kids. One of my favorite crafts as a kid was to make “birds’ nests” outside with mud and sticks, letting them dry in the sun. Mud, sticks, rocks, pine-cones, paper and string (if you’re lucky) have been the toy and craft items for children throughout history. Commodities like tape and Band-Aids were tightly controlled by parents even only a generation ago.

Fast-forward to a new era of cheap stuff. Plastic toys and craft products are so abundant that they have become the new hallmarks of childhood. Even while just about every American can recite the mantra “Reduce, Re-use, Recycle” in her sleep, individually we throw away 4.4 pounds of trash a day.

Our Earth is in the midst of a genuine plastic trash problem. The Clean Air Council estimates that 2.4 million pounds of plastic enter the ocean every day, and in every square mile of ocean there are 50,000 pieces of plastic. Recently, on a beach in Great Britain, swimmers found a washed up yogurt cup circa 1970!

While many of us might not feel comfortable talking with our kids about environmental destruction, the idea that animals eat plastic and die is just about the easiest concept of grasp. Of course, we might want to spare the heart-wrenching details, like the fact that mother sea-birds mistake the unavoidable quantity of plastic trash for food and bring things like glue sticks, foam stickers and balloons to their chicks in the nest. Scientists then find the chicks dead and decomposing around these little piles of plastic that filled their stomachs.

Unfortunately, recycling is not the solution that it is made out to be. Most plastics are not recyclable; even if there is a triangular chasing-arrows symbol on it, it does not mean that it’s recyclable. Plus, even the plastic that is recyclable can be made into another product only one time.

At worst, we are teaching our kids to litter, ignoring where something goes once it leaves their sight. The message is: If it is fun now, it doesn’t matter what the consequences are. Don’t think about. At best, we have a cute and fun toy or piece of art that gets admired and played with for a couple of days.

I also admired my mud birds’ nests for a couple of days, until the rain washed them away. As much as I love my daughter’s art, I don’t plan to keep it for thousands of years. The crazy thing about plastic is, we have designed a chemical compound that is almost indestructible to fill the consumer need for disposable items.

For those interested in learning more about the plastic trash problem and all of the totally awesome efforts under way to address it, I highly recommend the documentary Bag It. It is informative, funny, and entirely down to earth. (Get it? Down to Earth.)

Solutions to the plastic trash problem are everywhere. At our house, we recently made paste out of flour and water (well, it was my mom, actually, but I’ll take the credit). I swear it took less time than it would to locate the product on the shelves at Wegmans. It works really well, and it creates no plastic trash.

Recipe for glue: ½ cup flour 1/3 cup water Stir.

Diane Williamson lives in Syracuse.

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Salina Court: An Idea Whose Time Has Come.

By Robert H. Linn

Pedestrian malls are not new to cities, and some fine downtown areas have dedicated streets and even broader areas to pedestrian “auto-free” zones.

Kalamazoo, Mich., became the first mid-sized city to adopt a pedestrian mall, in 1959, and there are many similar dedicated city auto-free areas in our country and around the world. Successful pedestrian malls are seen in Burlington, Vt.; Minneapolis; Oakland, Calif.; Des Moines, Iowa; Ithaca; San Antonio, Texas. In New York City, part of Times Square is closed to traffic.

Other cities jumped into creating these malls, and some were not successful. Buffalo’s 25-year-old pedestrian transit-only mall was beautiful but had few pedestrians. Other cities have done likewise because the areas were not planned well and because few people live downtown and, after normal work hours, the mall areas become ghost towns.

While this has been proposed for our downtown in the past, I don’t feel the circumstances were right for this type of project when suggested. With recent developments in the center of Syracuse’s downtown, there’s no better time to start with one street and test the public reception and use.

Is it time for Syracuse to create an auto free zone? I think so, and I suggest naming it Salina Court. The pedestrian-only street would be on South Salina Street from Jefferson Street to East Water Street.

Past and recent developments in that vicinity — with new housing in Dey’s Plaza, retail and housing in the Pike Block, the Armory Square area, Lowes Landmark Theatre & Apartments, Franklin Square, Mission Landing, Amos Building apartments and other nearby locations — have brought a new residential, retail and entertainment community to downtown. With the success of these center city enhancements, such a mall bringing people to the area would spur further business and recreational development of the area. The movement of the Centro Transfer Hub to Warren Street and improvements in the Near West Side district with new or renovated buildings housing O’Brien & Gere engineers, WCNY, King & King Architects, the Redhouse Arts Center and a Marriott Hotel have all breathed new life into downtown.

Salina Court would be restricted to emergency vehicles and delivery traffic, which would be limited to specific hours. The middle cross streets of Jefferson, East Fayette and Washington streets would accept crosstown traffic with stop and go travel only. Kiosks, tables, chairs, benches, night lighting, large planters and shaded leisure green space would enhance the court. Possibly local garden clubs and downtown residents would take responsibility for maintenance of garden areas and planters, as in the Meadowbrook Drive end caps project. Places for bicycle parking would be present.

I recognize that a bus route change will be necessary, but with the transfer hub nearby, I believe that increased bus use will result from pedestrians leaving cars outside of the center city and busing to Salina Court. Salina Court with its proximity to the Connective Corridor and its bus transportation routes will further encourage connectivity of the Syracuse University community to downtown. Parking in downtown city garages should be free on weekends and every day after 3 p.m.

Given the proven record of Clinton Square to attract people to the festivals that take place throughout the year, it is clear that people from our county and beyond travel to downtown to enjoy outside activities. The connection of Clinton, Hanover and Armory squares by Salina Court will enhance the festivals and all of downtown.

We have a great city that is reinventing its downtown, and now is the time to consider Salina Court, whether all-year round or seasonal, from April through December. Developers have started the process with residential, retail and dining establishments; let’s enhance Salina Street to bring back the great center city we had when I came to Syracuse in 1971.

Robert H. Linn grew up in Albany and graduated from Ithaca College in 1971. He worked for 38 years with Ernst & Young CPAs in Syracuse and retired as its office managing partner.